What it Means to be Free
by Aieika
Summary: She had always thought that she would always be bound to a master. Now that she is free, she finds that she is bound more tightly then ever to the man that freed her. Caspian/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own this. Only the original characters, and the story line of this particular fanfiction. Noting more, nothing less.**

Note: This story contains things from both the movie and the book. And yes I know that Caspian ends up with Ramunda's daughter at the end of the Dawn Treader. This story takes place after the Dawn Treader with the assumption that Caspian did not get married. I chose to use The movie Caspian's appearance in particular because I like the way he looks in the movie. . This story just sort of popped into my head, and has been developing rather rapidly. i will be sure to update when I can.

Warnings: Mild Language

* * *

The ropes around her wrists were tight, causing them to burn. She could only wait in utter apprehension as she was half lead, half dragged up the stone steps of the castle.

She had been traveling with her master a long way from the manor in Calormen. She had first been marched away early in the morning with a pack on her back. She was not tied then. She knew her place as a slave. Her master rode on his Stallion with the other men. She tried to keep up on foot, but it was very difficult, and had to take the thirty mile journey to the sea at a jog.

Then there was the sea. It made her sick to be on board a ship, but she did not dare throw up her food. Her master had warned her that if she did, food would not be wasted on her for the next three days... not that they wasted all that much on her anyway. They always fed her from the leftovers at meals that would be expired before the next meal anyway.

At the harbor, they were met by some of the knights of Narnia. Not all of them were human either. One was a centaur, and one was a fawn. But the other three were men. Then she had to jog again, but only for ten miles, to the castle that the King of Narnia lived in. She supposed that her master had some sort of business with the King. She could not think of why they would come all this way otherwise. She also realized that she would not be returning with her master home. She was a gift to the King.

That fact scared her most. Kings were ruthless men, that fought for the throne in the most cut-throat manner. She was sure this king would be no different. She was afraid that he would be even more cruel then her other masters, and she had had some very cruel masters, who delighted in pain.

The main doors to the inner castle seemed a long way up. Each step her foot seemed to feel heavier and heavier. She wondered if the other slaves would be kind to her at least. She knew that she was being given specifically to submit to her new master for this night at least. She look dreadfully at the sun for one last moment before she entered the castle and felt a pit in her insides when she saw that it was already very late in the after noon. It may even be considered early evening. Then she entered the castle and she could no longer see sun or sky.

The entrance hall was fairly large. Several doors lead from the sides and on the opposite wall directly opposite was a large double door, grander then the one they had just entered. On either side was a statue of a lion. On the other side of each lion a stair case went up in opposing directions, to the floors above. The room was brightly lit, even if it was not as bright as the glorious day outside.

The Narnian escorts led her master and his people toward the big doors. Her master pulled a rope attached to her wrists to force her to follow, not that she wouldn't. She knew better. She noticed under her bare feet that the rug they were walking on, which was red, was very soft, and felt nice against her feet after so much walking on rugged terrain.

They were led into the doors, which was in fact a throne room. They approached the throne, when reaching a certain point, bowing respectfully to the man seated in the throne. He was a very young man, not too much older then herself. He looked to be fairly tall. He had a dark complexion, though not as dark as her masters, and dark hair at shoulder length. She supposed that he was handsome, but could not really tell because her fear of him was so great. If she had not been so afraid, she would have noticed that he had a kind look in his eyes.

He master and the men with him spoke with the king, and the King spoke back, discussing things that she could not have remembered or understood if she had tired. She was too terrified of what was to come. After a long hour of talking, they finally began to talk about her.

"She is a fine slave girl. Worth a lot back home. _And_ she is of yet untouched! Even more rare for a pretty thing like her! This is a gift from Calormen to you your majesty," her master said. This was not entirely true. She was not a "pretty thing" as her master had called her. At least by the standards of Calormen. She was too straight and too narrow. Not enough curves to be considered "pretty." Then there was the fact that she was covered in dirt, and had a rather defeated look.

"There is no doubt about it," the King spoke slowly, as if he was thinking very carefully on what to say next. If she had dared to make eye contact with the King, she would have seen sadness in them, but making eye contact was too bold for a slave girl to do and not be hit for it.

"Though I understand if she is not to your liking. Perhaps if you take her for the night, you may have a more clear idea?" her master suggested, tying to sound very understanding, even though he did not understand at all what why the man seemed reluctant.

"You see Takreet, slavery is illegal in Narnia. Perhaps if I could have a quick word with my counselors, about how this should be gone about?" he asked, choosing his words very carefully.

"Of coarse! I understand what you mean completely!" though he still did not understand, even though he thought he did.

The King went off into another room followed by his men. While they were in there, her master took the time to wispier threateningly into her ear, "You best give him a _good_ time tonight, because if I have to drag another girl all the way here because he was not pleased with you, you _will_ wish you were never born into this world, girl."

Right after he said this the king and his men came out of the side room. The King said, "Rokkon will take the girl to my room for now." he nodded, and a man with a large red beard stepped forward.

"Allow me to send my man Gorth as well," said her master. "After you drop off the girl, perhaps he can set up post outside the room you have so graciously allowed me to occupy?"

"Yes, of coarse," said the King looking at Rokkon and nodding again. Rokkon walked forward and Gorth took the rope from her master. Rokkon then led them out the large doors and up the stairs directly on their right.

She would have paid more attention to where they were going but she was just so scared. After about five minutes they reached a hall. The hall had many doors and the last one was at the very end opposite them. Rokkon opened the door and Gorth pushed her inside. She looked around at the handsome room realizing that this must be the King's bedroom. The bed had red curtains and golden blankets and pillows. Gorth pushed her onto the bed and then said, "Now to see about Master Tareet's room."

Rokkon answered, "yes of coarse, right this way..." and led him out of the room, but not before turning to look at the girl one last time before shutting the door.

She did not dare move. She instead watched the shadows or the room grow longer, as the sunlight from what she assumed was a west facing window, got lower. Finally the room was dim, and the sun was beyond the horizon. Then the room went dark.

At last she heard a click and the room was flooded with light for a moment when the door opened. She heard someone, she assumed the King, stepinside, and then shut the door. By then it had grown cold in the room and she let out an involuntary shiver, half from the cold (as she was only wearing what may of at some point been a sack with an arm and hear hole cut out one end) and half from apprehension.

She heard a flick and a hiss and then after a moment, the glow of what must have been a fire lit in the fire place at her back. She could feel the heat start to reach her already. She heard the foot steps again walking toward the bed and then walking around it to the side she was facing. She closed her eyes. Hoping that she might wake up on her own pile of scrap blankets back home.

She heard the man (for she was for sure it was a man) kneel at the side of the bed which she thought rather odd. Then hands that were for certain mans hands, as she could feel the sword callouses, took her still bound wrists gently. She then felt one hand move away and then the shink of a dagger being pulled out of its sheath. A moment later she felt the blade go in between the ropes and after a moment of working the blade back and forth, they were cut. He carefully peeled off the ropes from her raw skin, and then carefully placed her hands back on the bed and released.

She opened her eyes for the first time and saw that it was in fact the King, and he was looking into her eyes. She automatically averted hers, as was her proper place. The King sighed, and then stood up making his way to the wardrobe in the corner. She wondered vaguely if he was going to change into his night things before he came to bed and was with her. She saw him pull out a sleeping shirt and that almost confirmed her thoughts except he spoke to her for the first time.

"Would you come here?" She slowly got up, and then cautiously moved toward him. He was still facing toward the wardrobe, looking at the sleeping shirt holding it out as if he were trying to figure out if he were going to wear it or not, his head tilted curiously to the side. She supposed that he would be asking her to help him dress. He probably did not like disturbances when he was with a woman (she knew her master didn't) and had probably ordered his servants away from the room. Also probably why he had lit the fire himself.

He turned around and held the shirt up to her holding the shoulders level with hers. "To big, but it will have to do. Its the smallest I've got." This was a curious thing to say, for it made no sense to her, if he was going to be removing her clothing anyway. That _was_ the reason that he must have had when he sent her up here. She did not think that he could have had any other intentions.

"If you would, he said gesturing to a door to the left of the wardrobe, she went over and opened it. It was bathroom. A very Kingly bathroom, with a full tube already drawn and hot. She stepped inside a few steps not sure what she should be doing. Help him bathe perhaps?

She heard the King stop in the doorway. She turned o face him, keeping her eyes off of his face. He spoke, "there are towels in that closet over there. You may use any of the oils and soaps on the shelves. After you are done you can change into this, please leave your dress in that basket over there, and then if you would come out, and I will speak to you more fully," he said pointing to everything as he said it, handing her the shirt.

He was about to turn to leave when she spoke for the first time, hardly daring to believe what he was saying, "sir, if I may ask, done with what?"

The King looked at her for a moment. Then responded, "with your bath, of coarse." And then he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

She looked around in awe. She had never taken a warm _bath_ before. Only washed up in the used mostly warm bathwater of one of her former masters when she was younger. She looked around for a moment, and then remembered where he said the towels were. She took the plainest one that she could find. A simple red one. She then went to the shelf full of soaps and oils. She figured that he probably wanted her to smell nice when he was with her, and so she thought she may as well enjoy it while it lasted. She picked each and every item off the shelf and smelled it, noting her favorites. Then she smelled each one of those again, and chose amongst them what she would use. She set them down by the tube and put the towel next to them. She then undressed, placing her clothes (if you could call them that) in the basket. She put the shirt he had told her to dress in over a chair in the corner of the room next to the door and walked over to the tub.

She put her left foot in slowly, enjoying the warmness. She then sat down around the edge (for it was sunk into the ground) and slipped into the bath. She enjoyed it greatly, rubbing the dirt that was caked on off, being gentle when she washed her wrists and her left arm, which had all the names of her masters both current and former, were carved into her arm. She washed with soaps and then rubbed her self down with the fine oils. She wished she could stay forever. She delayed as long as possible, looking at a sort of wooded pipe above the tube, realizing that the servants probably filled the tube (and possibly all the tubes on this floor) from up there, and then the tube had a drain at the bottom and it was let out of the castle somewhere else. But when the water began to get cold, she knew she had to face the King sometime.

She got out of the tube and dried her self off. She put back all the oils and soaps where she had found them, and then put on the shirt that the King had handed her. She took a deep breath and then opened the door. The first thing she saw was that the King had his back to her, dressed in a night shirt himself, only he still had on his pants and boots. He was bent over the couch that was against the wall facing the end of his bed. She closed the door behind her and he turned to look at her. "Finished?" He asked. "Good. Now if you would sit?" He said gesturing to the end of his bed. She nervously walked forward and sat where he had told her to sit. He sat down on the couch, which she now saw he had made a make-shift bed.

"Now," he began. "We are going to have to spend the night in the same room. I hope you do not mind, I know that it is not at all proper. First I will assure you that I will not take advantage of you. Second, I wish to discuss how it is possible for us to accept the gift otherwise."

"Sire, begging your pardon, why would you do such a thing? It is my understanding that men liked to have virgin girls. If I do not please you tonight then I will be sent back with master and I will not be able to move for a week after the beating I will receive and then be expected to work twice as hard after. Then another girl will be sent to fill my place as a gift. Please sire. It is better if you just took me." As she said this tears began to run down her face. He was talking about not keeping her. That was even worse news then when she had heard her purpose for being sent here.

"You do not seem to be understanding," he said calmly. "I want to discuss the possibilities that we have, because as I said, I will not take advantage of you."

"Possibilities?" She asked for the first time daring to take a glance at his eyes, which were on hers, so their eyes met immediately. He had very king and beautiful eyes. She looked away again.

"Yes. You see, if I were to accept you as a gift and formally carve my name in your arm, which would be painful and probably humiliating for you. I know it would be for me. But as I understand it, you have had many names already carved into you. If I added my name you would be a slave of Narnia. In Narnia, slavery is illegal. Therefore, you will not be a slave anymore."

"Not a slave?" she asked, for th first time truly hopeful.

"No. You would be welcome to do as you please. You may leave or stay here. There is work to be done here, and you would be paid for it. Or you can find your fortune elsewhere. It is your choice. It is also your choice if you want me to carve my name into you tomorrow. Otherwise, it will be as you said. I suggest you think about it for the night." He then began to take off his boots, and settle himself down on the couch.

"Ah! Your Majesty! Shouldn't I be on the couch and you in your bed if you mean not to be with me tonight? Or even me on the floor? The fire is warm."

He laughed. A kind, cheerful sort of laugh. Not at all like the cackle of her master. He looked at her in the eye, this time she did not avert her eyes but held his gaze, and he did not lash out at her for doing so. She felt a little braver. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I made the lady sleep in a worse position then myself? A man has to have his honor!"

"I see..." she said though she was still a bit confused. She did understand that he was a kind man though, and she needn't be afraid of him anymore. So she crawled into his bed, which was warm and soft, and it felt like she was on a cloud.

"By the way," she heard him say. "What is your name?"

She had to think about that one. "I suppose I have lots of names. The most common of them are Girl, Slave, Child, You There, Bitch, and Jade." She said, knowing what he had meant. But only her earliest master had called her by a proper name, and she could not remember it now, it had been so long.

"Well none of those will do. I suppose if you decide to take my offer, you should also think about what you want to be called."

She then asked without really thinking about what she was saying, "What is your name m'lord? I know that you are King, but King What I do not know." She then clapped her hand over her mouth in utter fear.

He laughed again. "Caspian," he said.

"Caspian. She breathed into the pillow. And before she really realized how exhausted she was, she was asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own this. Only the original characters, and the story line of this particular fanfiction. Nothing more, nothing less.**

Note: This story contains things from both the movie and the book. And yes I know that Caspian ends up with Ramunda's daughter at the end of the Dawn Treader. This story takes place after the Dawn Treader with the assumption that Caspian did not get married. I chose to use The movie Caspian's appearance in particular because I like the way he looks in the movie. . This story just sort of popped into my head, and has been developing rather rapidly. I will be sure to update when I can.

Warnings: Mild Language, violence, sexual themes

**Chapter Two**

She woke up in the morning feeling the most rested that she had ever felt. She stretched, feeling the pleasant crack that her muscles could only make after a good nights rest. She did not know why she was so comfortable, but she was. And then her memories of the night previous slammed into her head.

She sat bolt upright in the bed, terrified that she was about to get a beating for daring to sleep in so long. The sun was already up a fair amount in the sky, as she could tell by the brightness in the window. She had never been allowed to sleep past daybreak.

She then noticed that there were two people in the room. One was the King Caspian, who was seated at a small table next to the window. The other, standing next to the table with a tray in her hands, was a kind looking middle-aged woman who was plump and motherly.

Both of them looked at her immediately when she sat up, slightly startled by the suddenness of the movement. The King stood up from where he was sitting, but didn't move toward her.

It was then that she noticed that she her breathing was shallow and harsh, like she had just run a long way. She looked frantically from the woman to the King, hoping that she would know her fate quickly, so that she would not have to dread it.

It was the woman that made the first move. "You poor dear!" She cried quickly walking toward her and sitting down next to her on the bed. She wrapped her arms around her. She felt like this must be what to be embraced by a mother. For it was warm, comforting, and soft. "You look as if you had a frightful dream!" She said while smoothing her hair in a motherly fashion. "I know! I will run and get you a nice warm glass of hot cider! It is just the right season, and the perfect drink for a bad dream," the woman said to her, then she turned to King Caspian. "You make sure that she starts breakfast and I will return shortly." Then she hurried out of the room with out so much as a second glance.

She looked up at the King, who was still standing, and had not said anything. Then he gestured to the other chair at the table a bit awkwardly. "Please, sit down," he invited.

She got out from under the covers and swung her legs off the bed. She felt her feet hit cool stone. She stood and slowly walked to the seat that he had gestured too, but did not sit. Still not sure if she really should.

"I won't bite you know," he said chuckling. "Won't you join me?"

She sat down slowly, taking careful paying a lot of mind to smoothing out the wrinkles in the borrowed night shirt, which she was happy went past her knees. She was not a very tall girl after all.

The King sat down once she was seated, which felt odd, because she was very much aware that particular action was an act of respect from a man to a lady. She was not a lady. She was a slave.

The King pushed a plate toward her. She saw that it had eggs, a sort of fried meat, and toasted bread with fruit preservative on it. The King had a plate with the same sort of food in front of him that he had already started eating. There was also a glass cup in front of each of them full of a white substance that could only be identified as milk. She had never been allowed to drink milk before.

"Please, eat," The King said gesturing to her food with the fork that he had just picked up. He took a bit of egg with the fork and brought it into his mouth. She copied him slowly, and found that it was very good, and hurriedly went to take another bite. The King watched her as she became absorbed in trying all of the food, and savoring each delicious bite as if she may never be able to eat something like it again.

"Have you thought about what you want to do?" He asked, looking at her carefully.

She put the fork down, and folded her hands on her lap, wringing them nervously. "Well," she started. "I know that I do not want to go back with master. And if you would like me, I'd rather you then him... you seem so much nicer..." she looked away embarrassed.

"Well, I do not want a slave," he stated frankly. He didn't. The girl shrunk a little though as if afraid of what he would say next. "But I do not want you to get hurt, nor do I want to insult your master, as he has insulted me." the King looked away in disgust for a moment. She looked at his face.

"He has insulted you?" she asked shyly, hoping not to over step her limits. He had not minded her last questions, but that did not mean that he would stand for many more.

"By thinking that a slave would be a becoming gift! Slavery is a horrible practice that has long since been abolished in Narnia!" The girl looked away thinking that he thought her horrible for being a slave. King Caspian looked at her again, noticing her shame. "I do not blame you, you know," he said.

"Don't blame me?"

"For being in the position that you are in. It is not your fault that your master is a wretched man! How anyone could treat such a beautiful young woman in such a manor is beyond me. It is simply appalling! If you decide to stay here, you will be treated well," he promised, catching her eyes.

"So what do I need to do?"

"Tell me how to perform the 'ownership' trading properly."

"Well... when my previous masters had gotten me for the first time, my former master made the mark that designates me as a gift. Then my new master carved his name into my arm under the old one."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Then you should put on your old clothes for now and stay here. They are in the basket still. I will return shortly with your soon to be former master. Be sure to finish eating an dressing before then. Tell Katai when she returns to put down some old sheets n the bed and clean up the breakfast dishes. Also have her prepare some bandages, ointments, and a fresh dress after she leaves. Tell her not to enter the room again until she has seen your master and I leave the hall and are out of sight. I shall return within the hour. Make sure you think of a name for us to call you afterwards. You will be a free person then." With that he left.

She ate the rest of her breakfast quickly. She she hurried into the bathroom and took off the night shirt, and draped it over the chair in the corner. She then put on her dress. After she had left the room she began to stack the dishes for something to do until the woman, Katai, came back. She noticed for the first time that the couch had already been cleared of bedding.

Katai came into the room soon after looking cheerful holding a mug of something steamy. She hurried over to her. "Now, now! None of that! You are our guest! Here is your cider," Katai said, giving the mug to her. She took a sip and it was probably the most delicious thing that she had ever tasted. "Now what ever seems to be the matter! You seem to be in a terrible fright." She told Katai all that had transpired between her and King Caspian.

"Now I see. He told me why you were there, but not what may happen. I understand why you must be scared. But not to worry! The King is a wonderful man, and he will be as gentle as he can when he has to hurt you, and he will treat you very well if you are to stay. I do hope that you stay. We need someone to at least handle the morning chores done for the King! The woman that had been doing it went into labor three days ago and would not be up for it. The rest is handled, but we will find something for you to do. Perhaps the King will see fit to have you trained up for something in particular. As it is, we must finish his tasks before it is too late!" With that Katai swiftly stood up and bustled about the room getting old sheets from seemingly no where and clearing the breakfast dishes in one swoop.

"Now I will return as soon as I can! Please do not be frightened child. The King is of a noble breed." With that Katai turned and left the room.

She sat down on the bed and pulled her knees to her chest. It was not long after she heard multiple sets of footsteps approaching the room. Then the door opened, and the King, her master, and Rokkon entered the room. King Caspian walked over to her silently and placed his hand on her chest, above her breasts. He then pushed her to lie down, roughly, but not in a manner that it hurt her at all. It was probably to look harsher then it was.

Her master approached them telling Rokkon to go and hold her down. Rokkon went around to her other side and held her wrist with one hand, not so that it hurt, but so that she could not move it, and he held down her other shoulder with the other hand. King Caspian straitened her legs, then firmly held them down and modestly closed so that she would not kick. Her master drew a dagger out of his belt and walked over to the fire, placing the blade in it until it became red hot. He then brought it over, and with quick, well practiced movement, made the short mark that claimed that she was a gift. She cried out in pain.

King Caspian then let go of her legs and her master handed him the knife. He went to the fire and her master took his place at her legs, paying no mind to her modesty at all, letting the hem slide much farther up her leg and revealing a bit _too_ much. This fact was not wasted on Caspian, and he deliberately did not look anywhere improper, though he really should have slit this mans throat for allowing it in the first place. He came back with the knife hot, and as fast and as gently as he could, he wrote his name in her flesh, trying his best to ignore her screams of agony, and the tears that fell freely from her eyes.

When all was over, he handed the knife back to her former master. While Takreet had his back turned to leave King Caspian pulled her hem down further and nudge her legs a little more closed to persevere a little of her dignity. Then they all left, and She was left to feel the sharp pain of the freshly cut and seared wound.

Not to long after they had left, Katai came rushing back in. "Oh you poor, poor dear!" she cried hurrying over. "I could hear you screaming and felt so helpless when I knew I could not come to help you." Katai quickly cleaned the wound and dressed it. Katai then helped her sit up and got her undressed. She helped slip on a new, pretty gown on her. Katai removed the blood stained sheets and the old sack-dress and guided her to lay back down. "There now. You rest here until the King finishes his business. I will be by to check on you every once in a while and to bring you food. Now you just rest here for now!" she then hurried out of the room leaving her to cope with the pain, which had made her very tired, yet not at all sleepy. So she just lay there, pondering what she might be called now that she was free.

It was some time later when King Caspian returned to his room. He was unsurprised to see the girl still in bed. She was asleep. The Calormen men had left and the King had escorted them for five miles before he had come back. The girl looked very peaceful while she slept. He sat down on the couch and waited for her to stir.

It was about an hour later that she finally awoke. The pain had been reduced to a dull ache. She sat up. Caspian got up and went over to her. He approved of the choice in dress that Katai had chosen. It was very becoming of her. She no longer looked the part of a slave. It also made him realize that she was not as young as he had first thought. She was not to much younger then him. Maybe a year or two. For the first time he blushed a little at the immodest positions that he had seen her in. He tried to shake those out of his head. It was not right to think such things. Aslan would never approve.

He began to push up the sleeve of her dress tenderly, so that he might change the bandages. He was thankful that the sleeves were loose. While he did this he inquired, "have you given any thought to what you might like to be called?"

"I have," she responded.

"And?'

"I think naming myself seems a bit strange and conceited."

"So how are we to chose a name for you then?" he asked smiling at her as he began to carefully remove the bandages.

"Well, I thought perhaps you would like to help me pick out a name. I don't even know where to start, or who else to ask. I had asked Katai, and she did not want the responsibility of marking me as something."

"I see why. It is a huge responsibility. So why not we compromise." by then he had already cleaned up the wound again and put fresh ointments on. He was almost done wrapping the fresh bandage on.

"Compromise?" she asked as he tied the bandage. His hands leaving her skin for the first time since he had started, and she found that she missed his touch.

"Yes. Why not I look through my collection of books for female names, and you tell me if you like it or not? Then I will tell you what I think, and we will find a name that we both agree on."

"Alright." He stood up and went to a bookshelf. He picked out several, and came back and sat on the bed crossing his legs in a very casual manner. She crossed hers as well, even though they were still under the blankets. He opened the first one and flipped though it. "Kimoschkiif?"

"I don't think I could pronounce it over and over."

"It is a tongue twister isn't it?" he slipped a few more pages. "Nottle?" It went on like this for an hour or so. Some names Caspian liked, but she didn't. Others he liked but she didn't. Not for herself anyway. They were about to give up when finally, on the very last book he said "Anthraiel?"

She paused and looked at him. It was such a pretty name. "I... like it."

"I do too. It sounds very elegant. It can be shortened too. Ann is a pretty name as well, for imformality."

"Ann... do you think it fits? Both I mean."

"Yes. I like how it sounds, Miss Anthraiel." with that she blushed.

"Are you sure it isn't too... elegant? It sounds like it is a name that should belong to a queen or something."

"The character in the book that your name sake would be was no queen! She was a free spirited girl that roamed the forests. An excellent name for you, I think."

"All right then. That is my name."

"Good. Now then." He stood up and picked up the books and put them back on the shelf. Anthraiel tried to stand up, but found that she was still very weak, and had to sit down again. She wondered if the ointment (which dulled the pain) had this effect on her. She usually could handle pain alright.

King Caspian did not seem surprised at all. He came around to the side of the bed she was sitting on and stopped in front of her. "Now then." he said again. He bent over and quickly scooped her up into his arms. She gasped in surprise. He then began to walk out of the room, shifting her in his arms in order to open the door. He then proceeded to carry her down the hall, then down some stairs. She clung to him nervously. She could feel his heart beat against his chest. She had never felt someone fell so _real_.

She was not sure where they were going, but he seemed to know. He went down another hall, and sent to the last door on the left. He shifted her in his arms again to open the door.

Here was a small cozy room with a bed, a bedside table, a wardrobe, a desk, another small table, and chair as furnishing. There was also a fire place with a fire roaring in the hearth. The curtains and bedspread were a pleasant green color. The King lay Anthraiel down on the bed carefully.

"This is your room now. There should be a spare dress in the wardrobe. Katai will be by early in the morning to show you around and help you start your day. If it pleases you, I wouldn't mind if you ate breakfast with me in my room when you come up with it. Katai will send you up with enough for us both. I always hate eating alone, but it is tradition to eat breakfast in your own rooms if you are of the royal court. Why, I will never understand. I do hope to see you tomorrow. If you are still in pain, I will understand if you wish to remain in bed. Good night, Anthraiel."

"Good night, your majesty," she replies. before he left, he took her hand and kissed it. Not noticing the blush that swept over her face.

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